“Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.” – John 18:10
Jesus was betrayed by one of his own to the religious leaders. He was seized without due process of the law. They came in the cover of the night like thieves and arrested Him. In such travesty, Peter felt he needed to defend his master. He could not allow such injustice to be appropriated in his presence. He did not understand why Jesus will allow himself to be taken; even after the soldiers had been grazed down by the power of God as they asked him if he was Jesus.
Peter had Him escape such great dangers, demonstrate such exploits at the face of adversity, seen and provocative at the face of dangerous threats. Why will He allow himself to be taken? Why will he succumb to such maltreatment? Was this a test to the disciples? Was their allegiance being proven? Did He surrender to such maltreatment so the disciples could fight for him? All the disciples except Peter fled at the face of such formidable force and did not wait to think about such arguments.
Peter however stood his ground. He had promised he will die with the Lord and he was not going to desert him now. However he could not just hung around and be a spectator to such injustice. He had to do something. The only option he had was to respond in accordance to their onslaught. They had come with swords drawn and so he also drew his sword, even though it was contrary to the teaching of Christ. He did not care as long such travesty was being propagated. His passion for the Lord consumed him and launched him into action; his zeal was overwhelming at the face of such formidable force. He did not care about his life. He was ready to die even if his action contradicted his belief. He took out his sword and swung it at one of the soldiers. He cut of his ears immediately. He defended Christ by cutting off a soldier’s ear.
Apostle Peter was filled with murderous intentions and he did not care. He was ready to put a courageous fight and was surprised when he was rebuked by the Lord. He was even amazed when the Lord further healed the ear of the soldier he had attacked. In such travesty, the Lord showed His love. That really knocked the fight of him, his zeal was deflated and his passion quenched. He was surprised that his action had displeased the Lord. He was zealous but without knowledge, courageous but not Christly, passionate but devilish. He had been blinded by vengeance that he could not see that it was necessary for the Lord to be taken. Christ surrendered himself for now for a greater purpose which Peter was oblivious of. He surrendered his rights so the purpose of God can be manifested. He even demonstrated his love at the face of such injustice. The will of God was paramount to His very existence. He lived to please the Father. Such was the message that He wanted to communicate to His adversaries.
The gospel message is love at all cost. It is taking up your cross and crucifying every self-reputation, agenda, ambition and embracing the counsel of the Lord. Peter nearly stained the purity of such glorious message by cutting of the ears of the soldier. He was zealous but without knowledge. How many believers action have cut off the ears of many of their persecutors, opposers, unbelievers, scorners that they cannot hear the gospel. We stand for the truth with dubious means. Our gospel has been the means to propagate our selfish agenda, nourish our covetousness and hawk our merchandize. Though our zeal is commendable our lifestyle of profanity has put off many to embrace the message. The world cannot see that exemplary love demonstrated by our Lord we purport to follow. Our hypocrisy is blatant and it has tarnished our testimony. We preach transcendental messages and we live gutter lifestyle. We scramble in the mud of vengeance with our enemies and still expect them to hear our message. We are cutting off ears like Peter by our actions. Where is that unconditional love that neutralizes any onslaught of the wicked one? Where is that selflessness, humility, gentleness, truthfulness that our gospel portrays? Are we trying to cover our profanity with religious knowledge and zeal? Can we shock the world with the Love of Christ? Can we pray for our enemies, and feed those who hate us? Can our lifestyle preach louder than our sermons? Is it possible for us to be known by our selfless devotion to helping people instead of trying to entice them to fill our churches so we can brag about how many churchgoers we have? Could we be the Christians who are ready to surrender our rights to the Lord so His will be done?
The Church of today is zealous but we lack the knowledge of the Lord that is accessed by intimacy with Him. We need love to be our motivation; we need charity to fuel our zeal, and compassion to mobilize our actions. We need selflessness to influence our actions so the message of the gospel can have free course to the hearts of people.
Let us receive the rebuke of the Spirit and sheath any devilish intentions that we demonstrate in the name of the Lord. Let pastors learn to work together in love without subversion to steal others members. Let husbands genuinely love their wives as Christ loved the Church and wives submit in the fear of the Lord. If our lifestyle has been injurious to our testimony, so much that it has been offensive to people to hear the message of the gospel, then let our love from now onwards heal their ears so they can be touched by our lifestyle. It is time we walk in love even when we don’t understand the dealings of God. Let His love reign and His message will touch the world. We are called to walk in love not to weld the sword of wickedness. It is time to sheath every sword of personal agenda and allow the purpose of God to be established. Then the power of God will touch every ear to hear the gospel message.
Iniquities had cut off humanities’ ear to hear the voice of God. So God sent His only begotten Son to express His love by attaching a new ear by the Spirit so we can hear what the Spirit is saying. We are naturally incapable to hear the voice of God without Christ.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” – Revelations 2:7
God attached a new ear through His love so we can hear the gospel in His way. Though Christ was ridiculed, lied on, persecuted, rejected and crucified He still demonstrated the love of God so He can attach a new ear to humanity so we can fellowship intimately with the Father. Christ’s word now imparts the ear so we might have faith to live as Christ.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17
We hear God by the empowerment of the word of God. This word is Jesus who came to demonstrate the love of God. Therefore the only way people can hear the way God wants them to hear is through the love of Christ. The love of God communicates the message of the gospel better than religious programs, eloquent speeches and oratory reasoning.
Our religious zeal without love has done much more harm than we know. If our love actions supersede our preaching we will have more impact in changing lives for the kingdom of God. For the word of God preached in love has the ability to attach the ears to even a hardened criminal, a derelict, or scum of the society to hear the Father’s heartbeat. It is time to sheath every sword of religious zeal and allow love to prevail.
